Fangs and Ruin
by moonsdoor
Summary: Across town, another girl and a vampire were living a bittersweet romance. Jessica Stanley didn't know it, but hers wouldn't be a romance. Jessica/James. Dubious consent. Graphic.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: I've changed some things about canon!Jessica but she's still her bubbly, competitive, slightly mean self. I hope you like the story!_

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><p><strong>Fangs and Ruin<strong>

**(||)**

Chapter 1: Cold Heaven

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_Well, sure, go for the quiet, boring girl, why don't you? _Jessica thought with spite, watching as Edward sat next to Bella at lunch. Rumor had it that there was something going on between them. People had seen them get cozy and friendly in Biology.

For years, she had tried getting Edward's attention, and just when she had given up, thinking he's a lost cause or just not into girls, he went and got himself involved with Bella Swan.

So _fine_, Bella was nice. And she liked her well enough. But that didn't mean _Edward_ had to like her.

Jessica had worked hard to get where she was; she had wasted many summers helping at community centers, coaching the middle school cheerleading team, going to UN clubs, hosting the now extinct German club and more recently, running for school president. It had been a tie between her and some geek, Newt Grant, but she was still proud to be co-running Forks High. Not to mention she was captain of the voleyball team, still had time to party with friends, and was pretty popular all around.

Now, could Bella Swan do all of _that_?

If there was a grade for living, she'd get an A and a golden star for being a responsible and fun sixteen-year old who wasn't a nerd, but was still on top of her game.

A + was reserved for when she'd finally convince Mike Newton they were meant to be.

_Oh yeah. He likes Bella too. _

Things had started going haywire ever since Bella had arrived in town. Her female friends seemed to like the newcomer's devil-may-care personality. They clung to her for advice on fashion and school, even though Bella mostly turned a blind eye. And the boys? Well, let's just say Jessica had to sit and watch as the skinny new girl took away not only an excrush_,_ but a potential boyfriend too.

It just wasn't fair.

At home, things weren't much better.

Her mother had noticed she was less cheerful than usual and the only advice she had to give was,

"Hit the gym more often. Get your blood pumping and your body in shape and see how quickly you get back on track."

Jessica was a little skeptical. "I'm already working out so much. I'm not going to magically grow a couple of inches, you know. Mike will still be into Bella."

The topic of Jessica's height, or lack thereof, was always a point of contention between her and her mother.

"None of that whining, Jess. It's not your height we need to work on. It's your attitude. Failure isn't in our DNA, remember? That Swan girl is a sheep. You're a _lioness_. You have to show that to Mike. You won't let her take what's yours, will you?"

Darlene Stanley always knew what she was talking about. She had married one of the wealthiest men in town and had a very fufilling job at Forks Federal Bank.

So, Jessica did as she was told and spent her free Friday evening doing ellipticals at the local gym. She had her headphones on and she was picturing kicking Edward Cullen in the face while she listened to Jessica Simpson. It was cathartic, but it didn't exactly make her forget neither he nor Mike liked her. But she was going to get out of Forks someday and find an amazing boyfriend who would be hotter than Edward and Mike combined, and he'd drive a bigger Volvo and shower her with attention.

It would all work out.

Around ten PM, one of the janitors shook her shoulder. They were closing.

Jessica was barely standing. She took a quick shower and walked out of the gym, her hair still wet.

It was now November and the weather consisted of sleet and harsh winds. Even with her woolen hat on, the cold still got in her bones, making her teeth chatter. At this rate, she'd likely catch the flu. Games were coming up. She couldn't afford that.

But she didn't care. For once in her life, she wanted to get sick and sit in bed and not have to move a finger.

But such dark thoughts never lasted very long with her. She was not a defeatist. She was a fighter.

Soon, she was crossing the town square and diving between two white picket-fence houses, humming to herself. Even though she didn't usually do this at night, she would take a shortcut through the woods to get home faster.

The forest didn't scare her, like it did all the other kids in her class. It had never exercised much fascination on her and she was happy ignoring it. What could be scary about moss and trees?

It's not like there really _were_ creepy creatures waiting for you to turn your back so they could jump at you and eat you -

Her foot snapped a twig in half. Jessica turned abruptly. She could have sworn she heard a muffled falling sound behind her. But there was no one there.

_Oookay, you're really gonna be that girl?_

She shook her head and smiled. Just her imagination.

She kept on walking down the well-trodden path, meandering through shadowy branches and thick, spiky brambles, knowing for a fact she'd reach her house in complete safety.

She always did.

She got out her phone to text Angela. It was a bit late, but maybe she'd want to sleep over, or watch a movie.

Her fingers were pressing the buttons, the message was almost sent. And then, in a flash, she dropped her phone to the ground.

She heard a sickening crunch, like someone had stepped on it, but she saw nothing, because her body had been tackled to the ground.

The dull pain started in her forehead and traveled down to her spine and legs, immobilizing her.

Her chest was being weighed down by a firm body.

She opened her eyes and blinked.

Red eyes looked back into hers. White lips and razor-sharp teeth, which seemed to cut the night sky in half.

Jessica opened her mouth, but no scream came out. She was frozen, trapped underneath a cold body.

The man or beast – she could not tell – smiled a vicious smile and licked his lips. She wrenched her head away and his pointy canines grazed the skin of her cheek.

She saw it in slow motion, what he was about to do, what he would do to her.

And, terrified out of her wits, teeth chattering, she exhaled and laughed.

A crazy, freaked-out laugh.

A "_no way is this happening to me_" laugh.

Hysterical. Hilarious. Horrifying.

He grabbed her chin and turned her head towards him.

"Something funny?"

His voice was gravelly, rich and amused.

"No. No. _Please_. Let me go. This isn't real," she mumbled, trying to push him off. "This can't be real."

"Oh, it's _real_."

She had heard about vampires. A couple of years ago her mother and her friends had had a girls' night in and they'd all watched _Interview With A Vampire_. Jessica had sat at the foot of the stairs, hidden away, curious to know why they were gushing over men in wigs and frilly waistcoats. At the age of nine, she had been utterly disappointed by vampires, even if they had been played by Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.

Her nine year-old self kept thinking, _They're so pale and gross and old-looking and **mean**._

When his teeth sank into the tender flesh of her neck, she screamed like she had never screamed before. He put a hand over her mouth to silence her and she was so caught up in the sheer intensity of her pain that she didn't think to bite him back.

She could feel the blood spilling out of her, drop by drop into his hot, hungry mouth. It was like being pricked, a syringe being plunged into her veins. At first, she only felt ripped apart. A crack inside of her that just grew bigger and bigger. She squirmed on the frozen ground, writhing like a helpless animal, trying to piece herself back together.

But then his tongue started licking and sucking at her skin and her blood rushed through her veins, quicker and quicker, to reach his mouth, the crack growing bigger. Her body responded.

Her screaming subsided. She closed her eyes and choked on a soft moan.

_God. _

It felt good.

He released his hold on her mouth. She couldn't help it.

A guttural groan was wrenched from her lips.

He growled into her skin and his other hand wound around her hip, pulling her to him.

Jessica gasped.

She was _right_ against him. She could feel him through her clothes. He was cold, unbearably cold.

She was afraid she might lose herself completely to this feeling. The volleyball captain, the popular happy girl who was co-running Forks High with that nerd, Newt Grant, couldn't get an orgasm from a monster's bite, in the middle of the night.

She had barely reached second-base. Yeah, she liked to brag that she had done more, but who didn't?

Her own clumsy fingers had never made her feel like this.

Tears ran down her cheeks but she was in cold heaven.

"Ugh! No! No! _Yes!_" she moaned one last time, as her body crashed from the waves of pleasure.

She didn't even notice when his teeth left her skin.

He was looking at her again, his eyes a darker, carnal shade now. He was clearly sated.

"You liked that, didn't you?"

He smirked. Blood, _her_ blood, spilled down his teeth on her cardigan.

Jessica screamed and tried to push herself away.

"Get off! I hate you! Get off! Help! Help!"

He wrestled her down and turned her over, pressing her face into the rotten leaves.

"Listen here, little girl, you're one step away from death."

"Get off! Get off me!"

"_Brat_. Do you want to die?"

Jessica sucked in a deep breath and tasted the black soil under her lips.

"N-no."

"Good. Then, shut up."

He was strong, _too_ strong even for a grown man. He was holding her down with one hand only. The other had found its way into her damp hair.

"Now. Answer me. Did you like it?"

Jessica shook her head, whimpering.

He wrenched her hair painfully.

"Did you like it, brat?"

"No!"

_Don't be stupid! Tell him what he wants to hear!_

But somehow, her pride wouldn't let her. She was terrified but she was not going to give him _that_. No way in hell. Not Jessica Stanley.

"You know how I know you did?" he asked, teasing the hairs on her nape.

"Your blood tasted fucking _delicious_ when you came."

Jessica wanted to be buried six feet under. She blushed, feeling more tears spill down her cheeks.

"Dirty little girls like you are hard to find. So, I'm not gonna deplete you right now. I'm gonna save you for later. You get to live a bit _longer_."

Jessica gulped. This wasn't happening to her. This couldn't be real.

"But if you tell anyone, I will snap that pretty neck so fast you won't have time to blink. Are we clear?"

Jessica nodded stiffly, but inside her head, she was already walking to the police station, filing a report, giving a description, telling them about the attack -

"Oh, really, you're gonna call the cops on me, huh? You think they're gonna believe you?" he teased, a sinister laugh punctuating his words.

Jessica froze.

"That's right, princess. I can read your thoughts. Careful next time, or you might get me _angry_. If you do anything, I'll know. If you tell anyone, I'll know."

_How? _she thought desperately.

"I'm a tracker. It's in my blood." He laughed again.

Jessica choked back a sob.

"Please, don't kill me."

"_Now_ you're talking."

He pulled her body up until her back rested against his chest.

"Hold still."

She saw from the corner of her eye how he bit into his own wrist. For one horrifying moment she thought she would have to drink the blood. But no.

He dabbed his fingers in the red liquid that spurted from his wrist and swabbed it gently at her throat.

She felt a burning sting which turned numb by degrees.

"I'll be back for you, _brat_. Remember. No one must know."

One moment he was there, the next, he was gone.

Jessica fell back on her hands and knees on the ground. She stood still for several moments, afraid that any move might call him back.

She wasn't sure she was still in Forks. She wasn't sure about anything anymore.

She got up shakily and checked her body in a panic. No wounds, no visible injuries. Her palms were scraped, there was a bit of blood on her cardigan and she looked ruffled. Her neck was another business entirely. She'd have to pull her scarf tight to hide the punctures.

She bent down to retrieve her phone. It was broken.

_If you do anything, I'll know. If you tell anyone, I'll know._

_I'm a tracker. It's in my blood._

Jessica hugged herself. Edward Cullen and Mike Newton were far away now.

She wiped away her tears and put her broken phone in her pocket.

She had to get home. She had to clean herself up. She had to forget.

Jessica Stanley was not going to go crazy. She wasn't going to believe in vampires. She wasn't going to believe the two holes in her neck were real.

This was _not_ happening to _her_.

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><p>Near dawn, after many hours of tossing and turning in bed, fighting the urge to jump at every small sound in the house, she finally gave up on sleep. She locked herself in the bathroom and stared at the reflection in the mirror. Everything looked normal, almost. The two holes on her neck were only small scratches now. His blood had healed her. Until next time. Until he pierced her skin again.<p>

_I'll be back for you, brat._

Jessica shuddered. He wasn't going to come back. It had been a nightmare. She was going to wake up soon.

Across town, another girl and a vampire were living a bittersweet romance.

Jessica Stanley didn't know it, but hers wouldn't be a romance.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Thanks to Sleeping Booty and Miss-Statement for the reviews. Please read and enjoy!_

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><p><strong>Fangs and Ruin<strong>

**(||)**

Chapter 2: Live To See Another Day

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The punctures were still there when she woke up next morning. She felt their angry burn when she touched them gingerly.

The reality of last night's attack was indisputable.

That _thing_ had sunk his fangs in her and he had fed on her, and he was coming back for seconds.

Jessica barely had time to run into the bathroom before she threw up in the sink.

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><p>Jessica adjusted the navy-blue scarf around her neck. She had managed to accessorize it convincingly with her purse and jeans. Nothing looked amiss, except maybe for the dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't been able to sleep well. She'd kept all the lights on in her room. She'd even prayed to her Lord Jesus, like she used to when she was ten. But nothing had allayed the terror. She had remained painfully vigilant all throughout the night, listening for any strange sounds around the house or any unexplained movement in the shadows. Her mother hadn't come in to say goodnight. She was grateful, in a way. She might've spilled everything to Darlene in a fit of tears and then, goodbye life, goodbye parents, goodbye town.<p>

She wasn't stupid. She knew the creature would keep his promise. He would hurt her and _badly,_ if she didn't do as told.

_Oh, God, oh God, please save me from this nightmare._

She smiled a fractured, anxious smile in the bathroom mirror and hoped the terror wouldn't show. Angela would be suspicious if Jessica Stanley was inordinately meek.

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><p>For once, she was grateful Bella Swan had hogged the attention of her classmates. If anyone noticed something off about her, they didn't comment. She tried to be her natural, bubbly self, infusing every other word with an enthusiasm she hardly felt. It worked in the classroom, but she was less subtle during the lunch break. She kept biting her nails and looking around, in case something caught her off-guard. The nervous tic didn't seem to bother anyone, except for Lauren, who sized her up with a critical eye.<p>

"Jessica, will you cut that out?"

"Cut what?" she asked, in a high-pitched voice.

"You're making the table shake. What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing! Just worried about uuuh, the History project. It's due next week and I haven't even started on it."

"Ew, don't be a nerd."

"I'm not a _nerd,_ I'm just being sensible. Besides, the faster I get to that, the faster I can drive to the beach this weekend and relax. You're not invited," she teased, sticking her tongue out at Lauren.

The pretentious blonde simply shrugged, but she didn't cast any more curious glances Jessica's way.

_Phew._

"You're going to the beach this weekend?"

Jessica nearly jumped out of her skin. Her fingers had already gripped the plastic fork and were ready to use it as a weapon, pathetic as that might be.

"Wow, you're tense."

It was only Angela, who had got out of Art class late and was just now joining her table.

"Hey, Ange. Sorry, I'm a spaz. I just had a dumb fight with my mom this morning. I need to get over it," she babbled, smiling at her friend.

Angela raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, another Darlene vs Jessica battle of wits. Who won this time?"

"Who do you think?"

"I see. Wanna sit behind the bleachers and talk about it?"

"Maybe later," Jessica mumbled, wondering how she could begin to describe to Angela what had happened to her in the woods. She couldn't, that was the point.

_Why did this happen to me?_

Usually, Jessica liked it when the universe paid attention to her. She liked that a lot. Now the universe seemed to have gotten the wrong idea, because this was _not_ the kind of attention she wanted to draw.

"Hey. Look behind you," Angela whispered in her ear.

She did, out of curiosity. And she saw Edward Cullen chatting up Bella in line at the food-stand. He had snatched one strand of her hair between his fingers and was playing with it fondly.

Jessica rolled her eyes, but the usual feelings of jealousy and resentment that sprung up every time she saw them close were muted today. Oh, she was still bothered by their stupid display, but she had bigger fish to fry, at the moment.

Mainly, what the hell was happening with her life?

Twenty-four hours ago, she had been free of these horrible thoughts. Twenty-four hours ago, her neck was still intact.

During cheerleading practice, she thought she felt someone watching her from afar. They were practicing inside today, so the only people looking at her were her classmates, the cheer-team and the coach.

_He_ couldn't get in here, could he? She'd notice if he was here. She would sense his presence somehow. She was confident in this much.

"Jessica! Head up and shoulders back! You're going to drop Tracy if you don't stay sharp!" the coach yelled, wagging her finger in her direction. Jessica's cheeks turned an unflattering red. She never lost her head during practice.

_Stop it. He can't hurt you here. Not here._

But she was lying to herself, something she was very good at.

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><p>The punctures weren't so deep anymore. In fact, they just looked like two mosquito bites. But they still burned when she touched them.<p>

"Jess, still in there?"

"I'll be out in a second!" she yelled, wrapping the scarf around her neck. The locker was almost empty now, but Angela had dutifully waited for her to finish cleaning up. She was a great friend like that, but an unfortunate nuisance, at the moment. Jessica wanted to be alone.

At the same time, she didn't, of course. Because solitude meant that she would face him alone. Solitude meant he would appear again.

"Movie at my house, then?" Angela offered, taking out her car keys. Jessica and her always carpooled together and this afternoon was no different. Except, everything was.

"Uuum, not tonight. I'm still sore with my mom. I gotta go home and patch things up. I'll give you a call if things go well."

"Give me one even if they don't."

"Thanks, Ange."

Jessica hugged her best friend and felt empty and cold inside. Something as simple and sweet as female friendship was far removed from her today.

Was this how Bella Swan felt _all_ the time? The girl had made it her purpose to keep everyone at arm's length.

Jessica wanted to laugh. Did this mean Bella was also haunted by a ...creature of the night?

But the mirth died on her lips.

_Oh my God! She could be!_

How did she know she was the only one who'd been bitten? Maybe that horrible thing had attacked Bella too.

But would she find the guts to go up to Bella Swan and ask her about vampires?

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, Ange. I'm stellar."

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><p>Jessica took her dinner up in her room. Not because it was the safest part of the house, but because it kept nosy parents out. Darlene wasn't particularly curious about "teen angst", as she used to call it. She thought it was stupid and pointless and that kids had to grow out of it and become functioning, successful adults. Her dad, however, would sometimes come up and try to wrestle her out of her "dark" moods.<p>

This time around, she made sure to tell them she was just focusing on a new cheerleading choreography and she needed some alone time for that.

They hadn't questioned it too much, but her mother had told her not to ignore her gym work-out because of school sports. "After all, you're not going to cheer professionally," was her astute opinion.

Jessica had promised to hit the gym in the morning.

Now, in the relatively secure confines of her room, she waited.

She had brought up a knife from the kitchen, although she wasn't sure just how effective that could be in a battle with the undead. She should have fashioned a wooden stake, like in the movies. It was too late to go out and chop some wood, though. She remembered what her careless walking had already cost her.

The hours passed with infuriating slowness. The banana-shaped clock on her nightstand was ticking away at a snail's pace.

Nothing had happened so far. Everything could.

Jessica started pacing her room. She did some push-ups. Then she re-organized her school notebooks and dusted her book shelves. She changed her bed-sheets. She brushed her teeth twice, for good measure.

She did some more push-ups. Then, she earnestly tried to work out a cheerleading routine. In the end, she exhausted herself with activity.

_Great, now I'm all sweaty and smelly._

She dragged her feet to the bathroom and turned on the shower. She didn't pull the curtains as she got in, because she'd seen movies like _Psycho_ and if something was going to attack her, it was going to do it while she could see it.

Oh, who was she kidding? It wasn't an it. It was a _he._

Jessica stayed under the shower spray for a long time and let the hot water soothe the fading punctures in her neck. She still couldn't believe it was real. All real.

She shuddered, despite the steam coming off in thick clouds all around her.

At length, she stepped out of the shower and started conditioning her hair in front of the mirror. The door was open and she saw directly into her bedroom, which was as empty as she'd last seen it.

Everything bespoke of an average school night.

She started to relax a bit. Maybe he would visit her again, but it didn't have to be tonight. Maybe when he said he'd return for her, he meant in a month, or a year.

_Should I just run away and hope he doesn't catch me? Change my name and move to Mexico?_ she thought with a bitter laugh.

That was nothing like the girl she knew. Jessica Stanley never chickened out of a challenge.

_Even if what you're up against isn't - isn't human?_

She shook her head and ran the brush through her stubborn hair. The man had sprouted fangs, but that could've been a cheap effect. He might be one of those crazy lunatics who "drank blood" as a hobby. But then, how had he read her mind?

_It's not like it would take a psychic to figure out what you were thinking that night._

She started feeling a bit better. Maybe she _could_ go to the police, after all. Maybe this was all just some outlandish, small-town crime that everyone would forget about in a couple of months.

She flipped her hair and bent down to grab a tongs from the cabinet underneath the sink.

"Hello, brat."

He had already clamped a palm over her mouth and so, her shriek was barely a whimper. Her heart stopped beating for several excruciating moments. The terror she felt was coupled with staggering relief. She might've been insane. But at least now she wouldn't have to pace all night, wondering if the creature was waiting outside. He was _here,_ in her bathroom. Oh, God, how had he snuck up on her like this?

What did it matter, anyway? He would either feed on her again or...

_No, no, he can't kill me!_

Her head was spinning and it took her several moments to realize his other hand had wound around her waist. It held her in a vise grip. She couldn't hope or dream to escape, run for the door and yell for help.

He was half-shrouded in steam, but she recognized the smell of blood that seemed etched to his skin. And there was something else about his _being_ that was unmistakable. Something unnatural.

Jessica yelped when she felt his cold touch through the towel.

_Shit, I'm only wearing a towel!_

It was a slow night for her brain.

"See you've been expecting me," he muttered against her hair, his voice thick and husky with an unspoken menace. Intimately savage.

"Did you clean yourself up for me, princess?" he teased, bunching up the towel in his fist, until it hitched up her thighs and revealed a good portion of her legs.

"Shaved, too," he commented appreciatively. "Naughty minx."

Jessica closed her eyes in anguish. No, she hadn't shaved for him. She _always_ groomed herself. But she would let her feet get as furry as Angela's cat if that meant he would leave her alone.

And then he did something which petrified her. He flicked his thumb against her nipple. He was cupping her left breast through the towel.

She protested loudly against his mouth.

_"Relax,_ brat. You enjoyed it last time. Well, last time I didn't know you had such great tits."

"Mhmm!"

"Don't squeal, piglet. Don't make me angry. You remember what I told you? Piss me off and suffer the consequences."

Jessica stopped struggling momentarily. Her eyes were wide open. She could finally see him in the mirror's reflection. Last night, she had only caught fragments of his face. Now, she gawked at it in its full glory. Deadly white, pronounced and masculine. His mouth held a deviant slant that foretold of carnal sins. His clenched jaw could cut through steel. And his eyes were black now, but they seemed devoid of life. There was almost no white in them anymore.

"You didn't tell anyone. You played it normal. You even went to _cheer_ practice," he spat with obvious disdain. "I like that. Keep it up and we might...strike a bargain."

His voice sent shivers down her spine. Jessica tried not to feel the awful vibrations in her stomach as his thumb kept stroking her nipple. It was pebble-hard now. The friction against her towel was making it near impossible for her to concentrate. She dreaded the sensations going through her body. She seemed to be leaning into his touch almost against her will. She still recalled the deep and searing humiliation of the night before, when he had brought her to climax with his fangs.

"Please," she mumbled against his palm.

"Please what, brat? Make you come again, is that it?"

She shook her head against his chest.

"No, no, no..."

Her nipple was so hard now that his ministrations physically hurt her. She felt tears wetting her eyelashes.

"The towel's in the way. Do you want it to come off?"

She shook her head wanly. She couldn't stand the friction any longer. But she would die before she got fully naked in front of him.

"Fine. But it's gonna stain."

"Wha-"

She didn't get to finish her thought. He sank his fangs into her throat with animal urgency, but this time, he had the decency to feast on the other side of her neck.

It hurt just as badly as before.

And then, it didn't hurt at all, which made Jessica want to scream all the more. But he was still covering her mouth.

This time, she did bite him. She bit the inside of his hand. She sank her teeth into his flesh until she was certain she could taste blood, but it might've been her own.

The vampire paused, fangs halfway inside her flesh, and looked at the tiny red marks on his palm.

Suddenly, Jessica's throat was being squeezed shut. His hands were pressing down on her gullet.

When her head hit the tiles she didn't even feel it, because the oxygen wasn't coming up to her brain.

He had her pinned up against the wall.

"Told you not to piss me off, princess."

Jessica clawed at his hands in a panic. He chuckled darkly at her feeble attempts. She was like a cat, trying to fight a lion.

"Behave, or this will be your last breath."

Something inside her - a feral instinct of survival - made her freeze. She dropped her hands at her side. Her lips trembled in supplication. Jessica would have hated herself, but she was too preoccupied with keeping herself alive.

He released her and she dropped to her knees.

Jessica coughed until her throat turned soar.

"You m-monster," she rasped, holding her hands over her chest. Her towel had almost slipped completely.

"I prefer _James._ And I was ready to offer you another climax. But you went with more pain instead. _Brat."_

He grabbed her hair and pulled her head up, eliciting a groan from her lips. Her scalp was burning.

"Look at you. Such a weak little girl."

He inspected his palm. The lining of her molars was still embedded in his skin.

_"Feisty_ weak little girl," he corrected himself with a grin and tugged at her hair.

Jessica hissed in response. She mourned the fact that the kitchen knife was all the way on her nightstand in the bedroom.

"Ohoho," he whistled appreciatively. "The brat wants to stab me, does she?"

_Shit._ She had forgotten he could read her mind.

He gripped her chin between thumb and forefinger. "I don't need a knife to end your miserable life. But I have to admit, you've got a violent streak in you."

With one swift tug, he had yanked the towel off her body.

"No!"

She covered herself hopelessly with her hands, but she couldn't hide everything. She blushed furiously at her exposed modesty. But James, if that was his stupid name, leered at her like a man who had come for a show and had gotten what he wanted.

"Great tits, indeed. Pert little ass, too. The stuff of poetry," he joked crassly.

"Are - are you going to..." she trailed off, unable to spit out the f-word in her current kneeling position. But he read her mind easily.

"Am I going to fuck you? In time, princess. In time." He grinned. "Patience isn't your strong suit, I gather."

"I don't want you to!" she cried out, unwisely.

James raised an eyebrow in contempt and waited for her to open her mouth again. Jessica clenched her fists. He'd warned her twice now about pissing him off. But she had nothing to lose. Except everything.

"Trust me, I can have all the patience in the _world_ if you just leave me alone!"

James chuckled, although the sound that came out of his mouth was the opposite of warmth and laughter. It reminded Jessica of a beast's growl.

"Doesn't work that way, princess. I told you I'm a tracker. And once I find a target...I _can't_ let it go. Either I finish you up now, or wait for left-overs. What do you think?"

His eyes were soulless, but they did not lie.

Jessica counted back from ten and breathed in deeply. What she was about to do was insane.

She rose up on shaky feet, resting one hand against the wall. Her nakedness, though painful, was less damaging than what he was about to do to her.

She parted her hair on the side of her neck where the fresh blood had already dried up.

"O-Okay. I get it. You want a drink. H-have at it."

She sounded alien to her own ears, but no one could say her survival instincts weren't top-notch. Jessica Stanley was a fighter, always had been. She was not going to lie down and die.

James cocked his head to the side. "I told you, you have a violent streak in you."

He didn't wait for her reply. His eyes had turned red. He lunged for her without restraint. Her breasts were pressed against his marble chest and she once again felt the coldness of his touch through his jacket.

He pinned her to him, bent her bones into submission, rubbed her skin raw, and then sank his fangs with relish in the two tiny holes waiting for him.

Jessica sighed with misery and abandon and grabbed his forearms for support. She held onto him, naked as the day she was born, because if she let go, she would just be a lifeless doll in his grip.

She could never describe to anyone what it felt like to have teeth inside of her. Her throat felt like an open wound, but it was also the source of poisonous release. She mewled and moaned against his mouth, horrified and disgusted with herself. It was happening again. It felt _good._

But this was the price. Let yourself be violated, let him steal your pleasure and live to see another day.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Thanks to xdesireofyou and Crimsin Butterfly for the support. Please read and leave a comment!_

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><p><strong>Fangs and Ruin<strong>

**(||)**

Chapter 3: Strike A Bargain

.

Jessica started singing a Jewel song in her head. She needed to cover her thoughts, but make them loud too. _Dreams last for so long, even after you're gone. I know you love me and soon you will see. You were meant for me. And I was meant for you._

The song felt like a funeral dirge, but it was good enough.

She needed a plan and some ground rules, if she was going to keep herself alive. Maybe it was insane to think of it this way, but she had no other options; she couldn't overcome James physically, she couldn't really overcome him mentally, because he could read her mind and probably knew a lot about her already, whereas she knew next to nothing about him. So her best shot was staking him in the heart. She had learned this was the definitive way to kill a vampire. That and cutting his head off, or so the internet said. She'd have to go with stake, for the sake of her sanity. However, if she wanted to catch him unawares, she needed a plan.

Hence, back to square one.

"You've got some shit tastes in music. But you're not entirely dumb, are you?" he drawled with an unmistakable threat in his voice. _Cut it out, princess_.

At least her ruse had worked, for now.

She cleared her throat and tried to sound braver than she actually was.

"So, I don't mean to...tell you what to do or anything, but it would be better for the both of us if we like, kept a schedule."

She was sitting on the edge of her bed, wrapped up in her thick bathrobe, shaking from head to toe but still, by some miracle, able to form words. She didn't dare look up at him.

"A schedule?" he echoed, amused.

"You said - you said we might strike a bargain. I really _really_ want to keep living for a while longer, so I'm ready to um, strike a bargain." Jessica would have laughed if the circumstances weren't so dire. She was talking as if she was trying to mollify her cheer coach instead of bartering for her life.

"I don't want you to finish me in one go," she clarified, bleakly.

"And what are you proposing, brat?"

"You mentioned left-overs," she mumbled, still looking at the floor. "So, we make a kind of timetable for when you want to feed on me. That way, you get what you want fast and no one has to know."

James was pacing her room, but his footsteps barely made a sound. She waited for his response with bated breath.

What if he said no? What if she had pissed him off badly when she'd bitten his hand?_ Stupid Jess, Mom's right when she says you don't think half the time._

She was violently startled when his fingers dipped her chin up. Her eyes met his, reluctantly. There was the perpetual glare in those red orbs, but he was smirking.

"Stupid Jess, huh? Well, you did offer your neck to me freely tonight. I'll take that into account."

Jessica couldn't help the relief that washed over her.

"I'll get straight to it, I promise. You should tell me, though, when you're free and when you're busy," she stammered, trying to wrench her chin away. He wouldn't budge.

"I have to know more about your habits if we're going to make this work," she insisted, stupidly.

"Gotta say, you're the first broad who wants to _manage_ me. You're kind of a bossy bitch, aren't you?" he teased.

Her cheeks turned a bright pink. A spark of anger flashed in her eyes.

"So, I'm right. You're the one who's usually in charge. The one who tells people what to do. Must be _strange_ to be the one begging now."

The pink had turned into an ugly red. She was fuming, but her dread was bigger than her pride. Or so she thought.

"I'm not begging. I'm negotiating. That's what _adults_ do," she bit through her teeth. _Stupid Jess. Stupid Jess. Stupid Jess._

The vampire cocked his head to the side. There was a coolness about him, a kind of eerie detachment that made him totally unpredictable. He could just as well reach for her and drain her of every drop of blood, or laugh at her and push her away.

She shuddered when he dropped her chin.

"You're a piece of work. Brats like you need a good dose of disciplining. But...I guess I'd enjoy priming you to my _tastes_."

Jessica swallowed back any retort she might have, knowing full well she was walking on thin ice. She'd got him to listen and consider her proposal. She needed to show good will.

"I - I'm willing to comply with your demands."

He laughed, startling her again. "You don't know what you're saying, princess. But you got yourself a deal. Don't piss me off or bore me and maybe you'll get an extra month."

She balked. _An extra month?_

"Don't look so grim. That's plenty of time for you to finish that cheer routine."

Jessica steeled herself against the nauseating sensation in her stomach. She had to do something, occupy her mind. Otherwise, she'd start thinking of ways to kill him again. Or herself.

She rose cautiously and walked over to her desk. She pulled out an empty sheet, a bunch of markers and a ruler and started devising a table.

She could feel his eyes on her, weighing her, probably mocking her. Her hand was shaking on the paper. She cursed under her breath.

James strolled over to her chair and picked up a pink marker. He stared down at the fresh marks on her neck. He liked them, because they were his, but he was nothing if not a generous executioner.

"I'll give you some blood to heal that. Wouldn't want your mommy to worry."

"She won't, anyway," she mumbled, knitting her eyebrows together and forcing herself to tune him out.

James raised an eyebrow. "Trouble in suburban paradise? I'm shocked. What would she say if she heard you moaning like that, hm?"

Jessica scrunched her eyes shut for a second. She had climaxed into his arms again. But it had been stronger than the orgasm in the forest. She had shuddered and writhed so intensely that she'd nearly lost her footing. Maybe it had been all the heightened emotions. He had really riled her up. _A violent streak_, he had said. She hated him.

It was kind of a surprise. She'd never hated anyone before.

Oh, she'd had grudges. She'd envied so many girls. She'd despised so many boys who hadn't liked her. But she'd never outright hated anyone.

_Well, there's always room for new things._

"Hate me all you want, princess. But you fucking shattered," he murmured over the top of her head.

* * *

><p>"Hey, where were you this morning?" Angela inquired surreptitiously. She was trying not to act nosy, but it wasn't like Jess to skip first period.<p>

"Oh, just the gym. Had to clear my thoughts. Mom and I had another shouting match," she lied smoothly, popping open her hand-mirror and checking her eyeliner for any smudges. She was prone to bursting into tears unprovoked, as of late, so she needed to make sure her face didn't go to hell. Oh, her body and soul were definitely there already.

"I'm really sorry things are going so bad with your mom. You know I'm here if you want to talk."

There it was again. The offer to come clean, and tell her everything._ What if James comes after her, next?_

Jessica was selfish by nature, but she was protective of her own. Angela was _her_ friend. That asshole would have to work harder to get at Ange.

"Maybe I need to go to the counselor or something," Jessica brushed it off airily. "All I wanna do is forget about it, honestly."

That was not, technically, a lie.

* * *

><p>She kept the timetable in her purse, where no one else could get at it. A semblance of order in this hellish nightmare. But, with some luck, she would wake up soon. A wooden stake, that's all it took.<p>

She used her breaks to research on vampires obsessively. She was afraid to do it at home, lest James was watching. He wouldn't keep a vigilant eye on her in school, would he?

One afternoon, three days after James' visit in her bathroom, she was sitting in the IT lab, perusing some more facts about vampire lore, when someone tapped her shoulder and nearly made her fall out of her chair.

"Jesus, don't do that!" she hollered at...Bella Swan.

Jessica composed her face immediately and gave her a cheery smile. "Hey, Bella. You scared me to death. What's up?"

The girl glanced over her shoulder self-consciously and drew nearer as she spoke into Jessica's ear.

"I saw what you were looking up."

Jessica stiffened, but maintained her friendly composure. If she betrayed herself right now, it would cost her. Although, Bella was probably just being curious. After all, it wasn't like Jess to be reading about vampires. That was for the goths and emos and _losers._

"Ugh, yeah. I'm not a fan, personally, but my teacher told me to pick between this and byzantine churches in History class," she babbled, affecting a casual tone.

"Right, weird History project," Bella commented, biting her lip. "Look, I didn't mean to spook you...but if you want, I could help you out. I happen to know some things about vampires."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. Bella spent most of her time trying to avoid her attempts at friendship. Why was she suddenly offering a hand?

"Well...thanks. I'll come to you if I'm ever stuck."

"Please do," Bella insisted, giving her a smile. It looked more like a wince.

Jessica stared after her a long time.

* * *

><p>She couldn't worm her way out of Angela's movie invitation. Not this time. They were watching <em>Troy<em> for the third time. Brad Pitt and Orlando Bloom in tight leather skirts never got old.

She used to love this movie, especially because there was so much man candy.

Now, some scenes were ruined forever.

When Briseis stood over Achilles with a knife to his throat, she got a little bit sick in her mouth. She knew what followed after. The priestess didn't have the heart to slit Brad Pitt's throat and it was _plain_ obvious he would overpower her. The thought infuriated her. Especially since, right after that, they started kissing passionately.

_Nooo, Briseis! Kill him!_

"Aww, that scene always gets to me. It's so romantic."

Jess shook her head, almost unconsciously. "I don't like it anymore."

Angela raised an eyebrow, but chose not to comment.

"Are you caught up on Grey's yet? We haven't talked about the last two episodes," she asked, instead.

_Yeah, Ange. I totally watched some Grey's Anatomy while getting bled out. Do the hot doctors know how to treat that?_

Jessica sighed. She didn't like it when she turned sarcastic like that. Her mother said she always gave herself away because she got some ugly wrinkles between her brows. She tried to smooth her forehead. She was still the old Jess. She was.

"I didn't get the chance to watch. Just tell me what happened, I won't bother to download the episodes."

Hearing Angela talk about their favorite show made her feel a bit better. Like things could get back to normal at one point. Maybe she'd even enjoy _Troy_ again.

It didn't goddamn help that James and Brad Pitt shared some telling features. Like hair color and jaw shape. _Ugh, I hate him. I hate them both._

She got up and went straight to the bathroom and rinsed her mouth, ignoring Angela's perplexed looks.

* * *

><p>He was right on schedule, which both relieved and terrified her. This was now an official thing. This was <em>happening. <em>And she couldn't back out, willy-nilly.

He was in her room again, except it was well past midnight, and she had made sure to lock her door. She was sitting at her desk, watching him warily, trying to stall for time.

James licked his lips.

"On the bed, princess."

Her legs were made of stone. She dragged them grudgingly towards her childhood bed. She was wearing an unattractive baggy pajama, the kind she'd stopped wearing in seventh grade. She would've rather died than be caught with these at a slumber party now. But James, the stupid vampire, didn't deserve anything else. She was secretly hoping he might get turned off and make it a short visit.

"Cute PJs," he observed, picking up her pink marker from her desk.

Jessica sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the frays of her oversize shirt.

"Cute, but they have to come off."

She looked up at him and watched him twirl the marker between his fingers.

"What are you gonna do with that?"

"Curiosity killed the cat."

Jessica bristled. "Okay. Then I have eight more lives left. So tell me."

She instantly regretted her words. Damn her temper and her nerves and her stupid inability to just _shut up_.

James cocked an eyebrow. "Feisty again, I see. Very well. I'm gonna draw on you, princess. So I can keep track of your tight little body."

Jessica wrinkled her nose. "That's a permanent marker."

He grinned. "Exactly."

She shuddered. "Aren't the holes you leave enough of a reminder?"

"Holes heal. They fade away. _This_ will take some time to clean off."

She hated him so much. He was using her favorite marker, and he was doing it on purpose, _knowing_ it was her favorite marker. He wanted to ruin everything for her.

Before she knew what was happening he had pushed her down on the bed, and he was on top of her.

"Now, lift up your shirt, brat. I want to draw a cross between your breasts."

"W-Why?"

James gave her a wicked grin. "Where do you think I'll bite you next?"


End file.
